Dough product drier



0191.21, 1941.-, c. SLJRICO 2,259,963

` D OUGH PRODUCT DRIER Filed Nov. 1'7. 1937 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ATTORNEY Oct. 21, 1941. c. suRlco DoUGH PRODUCT DRIER Filed4 Nov. 17, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 .Patented Oct. 21V, 1941 A UNITED STATES PATENT roEFicE Doven rzicsrr Damn i I camine sans, New York, N. Y. Application No'mbel', 17, 1937, Sel'lll N0.l 174,938

This invention lrelates to improvements in .the

drying of dough products such as noodles 4and macaroni both long and short cut.

It has for an object the provision of means and apparatus to eiect the drying of the dough prodproduct is .sent through a sweating chamber, to

allow the interior moisture to creep out to the surface. The product is then sent through a iinal drying chamber, where it is evenly and uni` formly dried.' The product, while in the drying chambers, is subject to air currents. In the final vdrying'or curing chamber, controlled heat and moisture -is introduced to bring the product to.

-its desired ilnal condition. The product passes through the several chambersvon endless belt conveyers, which have their runs made of wire mesh to permit circulation of-air through" the runs and the product resting on them. In the final drying chamber, particularly, the air is introduced into the interior of the conveyer, that is, between its upper and lower runs and ows generally laterally through the chamber into an air return chamber at the rear -from whence it f to an inner front one of which is shown at I8, are located in spaced is brought bythe suction of a blower to the front of the former chamber for its further circulation `through it. The air return chamber ensures proper circulation of the air at the end of the chamber away from the blower. j Another object of the invention is the provision of agitating means at the ends of the conveyers, so that as the product passes down from one conveyer to the next, any lumping that may have occurred is broken up. 0th r objects and advantages will become apparent upon further study; of the specification and drawings, inwhich: v Fig. l is a longitudinal section. of the machine looking toward its front, that. is toward the side where the blowers .are located. i i, Fig. 2 is a cross section taken alongthe line v2-2 of Fig. 1,'the macaroni being omitted from the conveyers.

Fig. 3 is a partial cross section taken similarly to Fig. 2, but showing an alternate type having a lower cooling compartment#v Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal section, to an 55 enlarged scale-at the end of two succeeding conveyers showing the agitating rollers.

Fig. 5 is a partial plan looking down on thel p conveyer and agitating ollers oi Fig. 4. l

YFig. 6 is a partial longitudinal section-taken similarly to Fig. 4, but showing an alternate type of agitator, and

Fig. I is a partial plan section looking down on the top conveyer and cutting through the agitating device.

The drier which occupies substantially the full space between the floors I and i of 'a building, comprises a front wall Il, a rear wall l0, Fig. 2, andendwal1s|2 and II,Fig.1.

Bet inside of wall lIl, Fig. 2, is a sheet metal lining I4. The upper end of lining Il curves for- .ward to join a horizontal partition Il which extends across to rear wall Il. and for substantially l the length cf the drier, Fig. l.. 'At a space above partition .Il is another similar partition I l. These partitions extend from rear wall I0 across wall l1. A series of uprights,

positions along the length of wall Il for bracing same. Horizontal'boards I l extend between uprightsjl.

located above the top'of sheet metal'lining Il I and" about ons line with partition-1|.is'ashelf 2l.' Above-shelf 2l, and extending over fnon'the top of walil I tothe tcp oi'wall l1, cna line with topwall Il of the drienisasheetmetalwaill.

which runs for the length .ofthe drier. A t the bottom of lining Il is a shelf' extending between wana u and n. set onnoor l, below shelf 2l, are blowers v2l, which sendthe air through openings in shelf 2l into a flue 25.

defined by lining [I and inner front wall I1. The air from flue 26 passes into-the interior of the drier through openings 2i provided in wall I1.

Another flue 21, deiined by walls 2 2 and I1 is located above flue Il.

terior of the drier above, partition I l. Top wall 2`| is provided( with curved bones11 for downwardly deilecting the air entering preliminary drying chamber-"M throush 0901x1118 29 Plieliminary .drying chamber 3|' is defined by partition Il, the upperportion of front inner wall I1,

.top wall Il and the upperpcrtion of 'rear inner wall Si, said latter wall being similar in construction to4 wall H, having uprights I2 Openings Il and",` and 'horizontal' boards Il. Beneath chamber 30 is sweating cr dead air chamber lt which is deiined'by lower partition Il, upper par-` tition It, front inner wall I1 and rear inner wall Blowerslscn'd the air through i'iue 2T through opening 29 into the 4in- 3|. 'I'herel are-no openings in either wall |1 or wall 3| leading into sweating chamber 35. Be-

neath sweating chamber 35 is the iinal` drying chamber 36, which is defined by partition |5,

Openings 33 lead from f chamber 39 whichis defined by partition I5 rear wall I8, bottom boards 34 and 48 and rear inner wall 3|.

y A conduit 4| delivers the product to be treated to a hopper 42. Rotatably mounted on the bottom of hopper 42, is curved chute 43. MotQr 44 through reducing gear box 45 and chain 46 effects the rotation of chute 43. As the product 98 is discharged from chute 43, the rotation of the latter distributes it about on delivery conveyer 41 which moves in the direction indicated bythe arrow. Conveyer 41 travels very fast delivering the product on slower moving conveyer 48. The upper run of conveyer 48 travels through preliminary drying chamber 38. The product carried by conveyer 48 is discharged at its right hand end upon conveyer 49, whose upper run passes through dead air chamber 35. Conveyer 49 runs much slower than conveyer 48, so.

product passes out of the drier from conveyer 51.

In passing from one conveyer to the next,^the product passes between agitator rolls 58 and 5|. The conveyers pass over rolls 58 which are mounted in suitable bearings at inner front and rearA walls |1 and 3|. .As the product is carried along the top runs of the conveyers, it is kept from falling oiI the sides of said runs by longitudinal stationary guides 9| fixed to front and rear inner walls l1 and.3|. The conveyers are driven by motor 59 through chains or belts 68 engaging wheels 6| mounted on the left hand rollers 58 (Fig. 1). The conveyer runs are of wire mesh to allow of a free circulation of air through them.

Agitator rolls 58 and 5|, Figs. 1, 4` and 5 are driven by gearing (not shown) from rolls 58, roll being preferably rotated at about 60 R. P. M. while roll 5| is rotated in the opposite direction at about one-third R. P. M. Each roll is thickly studded with2 radially extending pins A62. As the product is sent off the end of a conveyer, say conveyer 53, pins 62 on roll 58 quickly pull it apart and throw it mostly against pins 62 on r'ol1l5l. The portion of the product impaled on pins 62 of slowly rotating roll 5| is held back from that engaged by pins 62 ofA rapidly rotating roll' 58 very effectively separating any lumps or agglomerated masses of theA product. As roll 5| is slowly rotated, it presents fresh pins to the oncoming mass, moving away others that may have become clogged. The action oi' agitator rolls 58 and '5| is especially adapted for long noodles or other string dough products that have a tendency to tangle. While the use of roll 5| is preferred, it may be omitted, relying solely on the separating action of pins 62 on roll 58.

An alternate form of agitator is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. At the discharge end' of a conveyer, say conveyer 53, is mounted a shaft 63 which has gear 64 xed to it near its end. Ro-

tatably mounted on shaft 63 is a sleeve 65 having a gear 66 fixed to it near its end and adjacent to gear 64. Sleeve has a horizontally extending vrow of radially extending pins 61. Alternating with pins 61, sleeve 65 has slots 68. Shaft 63 carries radially extending pins 69 which pass through slots 68. A head 18 is mounted to slide between fixed guides 1|. Head 18 carries a rack arm 12 meshing with gear 64 and a rack arm 13 meshing with gear 66. A shaft 14. driven by gearing, not shown, from a roller 58, has an eccentric 15 xed to it. Engaging eccentric 15 is a pitman 16 pivotally connected to head 18. The rotation of shaft 14 causes'head 18 with its rack arms 12 and 13 to reciprocate up and down, rocking gears 64 and 66 in directions opposite to each other. This causes shaft 63 to raise pins 69 while sleeve 65 lowers pins 61 and vice versa. Pins 69 raise tothe position of pins 61 and then return to the position shown for them in Fig. 6. At the same time pins 61 turn down to the position of pins 69 and then return to the position shown for them in Fig. 6. The passing of the row of pins 69 between the row of pins 61 agitates and separates the `oncoming product 98 on its way from the discharge end ofthe upper conveyer to the receiving end of the lower conveyer.

In the preliminary drying chamber 38, the product is subjected to a quick drying action which might be said to case-harden the product, that is an outer dryer and firmer layer is formed on the noodles or macaroni or other dough product while the interior remains soft and moist. This prevents the product from checking and losing its rshape and color. Blowers 28 send the air through 21, through opening 29 into preliminary dryjzfi'g chamber 38 where baiiles 11 throw it downward in crosscurrents against the main flow of air from openings 29 transversely through thechamber. In general the air passes from openings 29 through qhamber 38 above the product being carried by conveyer 48, out upper openings 38 into air return chamber 31, back through lower openings 38 into chamber 38 and out openings 18 into the suction end of iiue 21. At the same time a considerable flow of air gees past the product on conveyer 48, through the meshes in the conveyer and out openings 18. In

@order to control the moisture content of the air in chambers 38 and 31 and iiue 21, vertically sliding doors 19 are provided in wall opposite flue 21 .and vertically` sliding vdoors 88 are provided in wall 8 of air return chamber 31. The amountv these doors are opened will control the amount of fresh air taken into the circulation of air through chamber 38. 'I'he size of openings 29,

38 and` 18 are relatively small compared to the arcanes the interior of the product to creep to its surface.

There is substantially no motion of air in chamber 33.

After passing through dead-airl chamber 3l,

the product is, discharged into the nal drying chamber 33, passing successively over conveyers 52,4 33, il, 53, 33 and 5.1. gradually becoming drier and drier until it has just the right amount of moisture content predetermined f or it.

Blowers 24 send the air through openings in shelf 23 into flue 25 past sprinkler pipes 3i which extend substantially the length of the drier. After passing pipes 3| the air enters nnal drying chamber 33 throughopenings 23, leaving through openings 33 into lower air return chamber 39. Air

leaves air return chamber I3 principally through lower openings 33 into the lower portion of final drying'chamber 33 and out the lowest opening 26 to the under or suction side of blower 24 below shelf 23.. As explained above for preliminary dry= ingl chamber 30, there is not a direct quick circulation of air. but all sorts of. counter-currents past thelproduct, the air having only a circulation in general, passing laterally through chamb'er 33. Air entering chamber 33 through an opening- 23 passes inside a conveyer, finding its way out through the meshes of a conveyer and around the product upon it. In order to regulate the amount of fresh air taken into the circulation, vertically sliding doors 32 are provided at openings in wall -i I, and vertically slidng doors 33 are provided at openings in wall I3 of air return chamber 33. Further to furnish heat to 'the air Q entering the system through doors 32,., steam radiators 34 are provided at the openings at doors32. Y

Instrumentgpanel 33 of a wetl anddry bulb control is located in nue 2l for cotrollingthe moisture and temperature of the air in final drying chamber 33. 'Buch control will not be described as it is well known to the art. By means of the control the amount of water discharged from sprinkler ypipes 3i is regulated ari'i the amount doors 32 and 33 are opened.

No' moisture is added 'to the' air circulating in preliminary drying chamber 33,'.butits conten-t therein is. controlled automatically by a'wet bulb control (not shown) regulatingthe amount doors 13 and 83 are opened.

In earlier driers not having air return chambers, such as shown at ai and es, it was round that at the rear of thedrying chambers, the airl remained more or less dead. not subjecting the product to the proper-drying action. The prof vision of the air return chambers ensures the.

d rear. l

proper motion and change of airl at For short,.cut macaroni it is desirable to ve a cooling compartment for cooling vthe macaroni f before it is discharged. This modification `is shown in Fig. 3, where a partition d@ isprovided above conveyer 51, giving rise to a cooling chamber B. Openings 31 and 38 are provided in walls il and i respectively, leading directly to the open air. Blower 21S is raised to stand on partition 83, and door 82 is raised to come at an opening in Wall vIl above said partition. Heater 865i is moved up accordingly. In this con# struction, the product leaves the` iinal drying chamber 36 when it passes from conveyer 56.

vI claim:

1. A dough product drier having walls forming a drying chamber, conveyers for carrying the product back and forth longitudinally through said chamber, said conveyers .having their runs formed with'openings to permit the circulation of air therethrough, a casing forming a flue corn-4 fmunicatig with openings provided in the front l air return chamber communicating with` openings provided in the rear wall of the drying chamber, said openings beinglin the front and rear walls only opposite the space between the upper and lower runs of each conveyer, whereby the air is circulated from the flue into the drying chamber, generally transversely across the drying chamber into the air return chamber and from-thence back'across the drying chamber into theflue, means for heating the` circulating air and means forcontrolling the introduction of fresh air into said circulating air.

2. A dough product drier having walls forming an upper preliminary drying chamber, an intermediate sweat chamber and a lower nal drying chamben4 some of said walls forming transverse partitions between the sweat chamber and the drying chambers, substantially isolating the chambers from each other, conveyers for` carrying 'the product successively through said chambers, the conveyers for the final drying chamber having their runs 'formed with openings to permit circulation of air therethrough, means for forcing ay draft of air through the upper chamber from' one side and exhausting itvalso from said side, other means for forcing a draft ofair through the lower chamber from one side and exhausting AVit also from said latter side, the draft forcing means for the upper and lower chambers being 40 substantially out of communication with each other and with the sweat chamber, a casing forming an air return chamber in communication with theupper chamber on the opposite side from which i-t receives the, air, another casing forming an air return chamber for the lower chamber also on the opposite side from which the latter receives the air, said air return cham, bers" being subst tlally out of communication' with each other and with the sweat chamber, said air return chambers receiving the air from their respective drying chambers and permitting it to return to be Vexhausi'ed'from them, means for controlling the introduction of fresh air into said ,drafts, and means for heating the draft through 5l"the lower chamber. v

3. A dough product drier having ywalls linclud,- ing front and.rear side walls and intermediate walls extending substantially between the sidewalls. saidy walls forming an upper preliminaryv 6.- drying chamber, an intermediate sweatchamber and a lower final drying chamber, the intermediate walls forming partitions between the 'sweat chambenand the drying chambers, substantially isolating the latter from veach other and the sweat chamber, yconveyers for carrying the ,product successively through said chambers, the conveyers for the4 nal drying chamber having their runs formed with openings to permit circulation of air therethrough, the front and rear sidewalls of the drier being substantially parallel to the directions of travel] of the conveyers, the front and rear side walls at the drying chambers having openings therein for the passage of air it from vthle lower portion, a casing forming an cating with the openings in one of said side walls at-the upper chamber, means in communication with said fiue for forcing a draft of air into the upper chamber through said latter openings and out the openings in the other side wall at the upper chamber, and a casing forming an air return flue in communication with the openings in said other side wall at the upper chamber and with the exhaust of the draft forcing means, another casing forming a flue `substantially out of communication with said former ues but communicating with the openings in one of said side walls at the lower chamber, means in communication with said last lflue for forcing a. draft of air into they lower chamber through said last the draft forcing means for the lower chamber, said latter air return ue being substantially out of communication with the iiues of the upper chamber, means for controlling the introduction of fresh air into said drafts, and means formheating the'draft through the lower chamber.

CARMINE SURICO. y 

